Li Ning “Shaquille O′Neal”

When planning a spot for “the Nike of Asia”, you have to think big. Especially with a superstar like Shaquille O’Neal. Still, we do understand that life happens, which means that we didn’t freak out when a crew member accidentally shattered the glass on our backboard. Yet, in deciding to incorporate the breakage into the commercial’s action, AIO turned a mishap into a one of the most impactful moments of the spot. It was a day to remember.

State Farm Insurance microfilm “Of Love and Rain”

What are the ingredients to a good love story? Here’s the recipe by AIO in “Of Love and Rain”. This award-winning microfilm starts out with a charming combination of two hot Asian celebrities: Peter Ho and Ning Chang. Throw in a sprinkling of rain for mood. Add a fusion of American backdrops in Taipei City. Bingo! State Farm Insurance is showing a new face with an old love story that everyone can enjoy. How did we transport the huge bus and bus stop over the Pacific without breaking the micro budget? That is our secret recipe!

Wells Fargo “Lifetime”

For “Lifetime”, the challenge was to create a visual portrait of one man’s entire adult life, from college to retirement, while emphasizing the emotional texture of that life. This made casting an even more integral element with two different actors portraying the lead character’s life over the course of 30 years. Equally important were the tiny details of art direction and costume design that make each period of the character’s life ring true. Actually, we prepared and filmed a second Wells Fargo commercial at the same time as “Lifetime”. Two commercials. Four weeks. Unforgettable.

Honda “Emperor”

Surely the only thing more challenging than trying to amuse a boy emperor in ancient garb is trying to obtain a Forbidden City filming permit. Needless to say, the rules are labyrinthine, and so it came to be that AIO’s art department recreated the complete interior of the Palace on a Vancouver soundstage. Meanwhile, director Zhang flew to China to film background plates that would later be composited with blue screen footage shot in Vancouver. Computer graphics also helped transform our cast of a couple of hundreds extras into an “Army of thousands”—an epic cast for an epic tale.